If you need to put together a super quick appetizer with a lot of flavor, this pasta caprese salad is it!

It's simple to make, and all I recommend is using super fresh ingredients (and not overcooking the pasta). I use farmer's market cherry tomatoes, yummy virgin olive oil, fresh lemons for the lemon juice, and the best buffalo mozzarella I can find. And I have to say I get so many compliments on this. Here's how to do it:

Ingredients

1 pound pasta (farfalle is my favorite for this, penne is a good alternative)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 garlic cloves (pressed or minced)

1 shallot (minced)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 1/2 pounds of cherry tomatoes (or cored seeded red tomatoes)

12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

Directions

Boil the pasta with a pinch of salt, then set aside in a large bowl to cool down.